While someone we know suffers from dementia, it is likely that, as a family member, we find ourselves taking on the role of caregiver in some capacities. In most cases, the caregiver of a person with dementia is a family member, typically a wife or husband. At some point, however, the responsibility of caregiving is too much for us to handle. Whether it’s time, money, stress, or physical ability, we have to begin considering options for who will care for our loved one next. This time is not an easy one for us. We are, once again, changing our lifestyle and trusting someone, that we might not know, to care for someone we love in their last stages of life. The transition from caregiver to family member is not an easy one, but there are things you can do to make the transition more smooth for everyone involved. In this article we’ll discuss how to better transition from caregiver to family member.

Transitioning Caregiving Role

It is likely that someone with dementia will be cared for by someone who has experience caring for people with dementia. It is important to remember that this is a shift in the way you are caring. You will not be completely removed from caring for the person you love. Your role may shift from daily hands-on chores to weekly backup duty, but you will still contribute as much as you can. Even if your loved one enters a nursing home, you will visit often, advocate for them with the staff, and bring treats.

Still Having A Commitment To Care

Especially if you are caring for a spouse, you must remember that it is okay to “pass the baton” to someone else in caring for your loved one. At some point, your role as family member will be more important than your role as caregiver and you want to use what little time you may have left to truly enjoy your loved one. It is important to consider a person’s needs and desires when they have dementia, and this is not always easy to do when you are in the mindset of a caregiver. There are unique perspectives that family members can offer when it comes to caring for someone with dementia.

How To Transition To A New Normal

Many people tend to isolate themselves when their time of caregiving is over. This is not a healthy practice and can lead to feelings of worthlessness. You are still a vital part of your loved ones lives. You are the best one to make decisions on their behalf that will benefit them the most. You play a crucial role in keeping their memories alive. Do not let your new “alone time” become a negative thing. Get out and enjoy your life so that you can appreciate your own healthy mind and body.

While caregiving for someone with dementia can be tough, so can stepping away from that role. There are many emotions that can come along with this change, ones we may not have been expecting. Orchard at Brookhaven is here to help you transition into your new role as family member and care for your loved one. If you are looking for a senior living community in Atlanta, please contact us to learn more or schedule a tour.

When someone you know or someone you love is first diagnosed with dementia, this can be a scary time. Oftentimes families do not know what to do in these situations. Dealing with sickness can be unexpected and you may not already have a plan in place. This article will explore the many ways you can plan and prepare if you are just learning that someone close to you has been diagnosed with dementia.

Noticing Signs Of Dementia

As people age, their physical, cognitive and emotional behaviors tend to change. It can be difficult to recognize when these changes are normal versus abnormal. The earlier dementia is recognized in an individual, the better. Below are some resources doctors and physicians may use to help determine if someone is suffering from dementia.

• Obtaining a medical and family history from the individual, including psychiatric history and history of cognitive and behavioral changes.
• Asking a family member to provide input about changes in thinking skills and behavior.
• Conducting cognitive tests and physical and neurologic examinations.
• Having the individual undergo blood tests and brain imaging to rule out other potential causes of dementia symptoms, such as a tumor or certain vitamin deficiencies.
• In some circumstances, using brain imaging tools to find out if the individual has high levels of beta-amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s; normal levels would suggest Alzheimer’s is not the cause of dementia.

Steps To Take After Dementia Diagnosis

After the person has been diagnosed, there are several things you need to take care of. Your life and the patient’s life is going to drastically change over time. These next steps will help you and the person you care for transition over time.

• Determine treatment options
• Plan out living conditions
• Coordinate care for the diagnosed individual
• Take an active role in meaningful activities
• Set aside time to connect with others who may be in your position
• Educate yourself on the disease
• Create a plan for the future (care, finances, etc.)

There are over 5.8 million Americans living with dementia. By 2025, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia is projected to reach 7.1 million. You are not alone in your search for answers. Orchard at Brookhaven is qualified and ready to help you find solutions in your time of crisis. When you are ready for help taking care of your loved one, please contact us.

Caregiving for someone who has dementia can be challenging and exhausting. Being responsible for yourself and someone else can lead to many difficult situations that you may have never encountered before. While this may present its fair share of ups and downs, it is not impossible. There are several steps you can take to make caregiving manageable, and in this article we’ll provide tips on how to help someone with dementia.

Accept Support

Many times, when we are going through a difficult time, we feel the need to handle everything on our own. This is not good for ourselves or the people we are caring for. It is important to remember that there are people who can and want to help. We must learn to accept the help. Many times people’s support, whether is be money or time, is the one way they know how to offer aid. When we reject their help, they can feel personally rejected. We must learn to allow people to provide the support that we may need.

Be Compassionate

When times get especially difficult, patience and compassion tend to run low. We need to remind ourselves that the person we are caring for is suffering and can not control their inability to do certain things. Think of yourself when you have been in situations where you needed help. How did you want people to approach you and your situation? This empathy is needed in the entire process of caring for someone with dementia.

Be Realistic

Every situation will not be ideal. When caring for a person with dementia, we need to remind ourselves to be realistic. We need to plan for realistic timelines, set realistic expectations and be realistic about the duties or responsibilities we can or cannot handle. It is important to enjoy the good days and handle the bad days to the best of our ability. Remember that dementia is a disease and it will progress. Being realistic about your course of action will help you better prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.

Consider All Aspects of Dementia

As a caregiver, it can be difficult to place yourself in the shoes of the individual who has dementia. We struggle to understand how difficult tasks can become and it makes figuring out how to help people with dementia even more hard. Many people associate dementia with memory loss, it is not just memory loss. It is the gradual loss of knowing how to function. The process can be very long and drawn out and it’s important to remember how difficult it must be for the individual who is going through these last stages of their life.

Create a Plan

Caregiving for an individual with dementia comes with constant change. It is important to remember how quickly the condition of someone with dementia can change. Caregivers should prepare for a time when they are no longer to care for a loved one on their own. This would include financial considerations and exploring facilities that can help with caring for a loved one. One aspect of this planning is to routinely check the status of the individual they are caring for in an effort to determine when outside help will be needed.

While caring for the eldery, especially those who have dementia, can be exhaustive in many ways. It should be comforting to know that there are some steps caregivers can take when taking on the extra responsibilities. At some point, caregivers will need to seek out other options to help care for their loved ones. Here at Orchard at Brookhaven, we are prepared to help you take that next step. We offer luxurious facilities that provide individuals who have dementia every opportunity to live a happy, fulfilling life. Please contact us for more information or to schedule a tour of our community.

Caregivers can be spouses, partners, adult children, parents, other relatives friends, neighbors or paid professionals. If you are a family member who has found yourself in the role of caregiver, you may also be raising children, or be a volunteer, a spouse, have other family commitments. Adding caregiving to that list can easily lead to frustration and exhaustion. Rarely are family members trained to do the broad range of tasks and know the appropriate support needed to help someone throughout their day.

The Caregiver Role

Common tasks caregivers often do including;

• Buy groceries, cook, clean house, do laundry, provide transportation
• Help the care receiver get dressed, take a shower, take medicine
• Transfer someone out of bed/chair.
• Arrange medical appointments, drive to the doctor, sit in during appointments, monitor medications
• Talk with doctors, nurses, care managers, and others to understand what needs to be done
• Arranging for assistance—especially for someone who cannot be left alone
• Handle finances and other legal matters
• Be a companion

Overcoming Stress As A Caregiver At Home

When a family member finds themselves in the role of caregiver, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Here are ideas that may help reduce the stress;

• Identify yourself as a caregiver
• Get a good diagnosis—from a specialist or geriatrician if necessary—of your loved one’s health condition
• Learn what specific skills you might need to care for someone with whatever their diagnosis is
• Talk about finances and healthcare wishes
• Complete legal paperwork, e.g., Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives
• Bring family and friends together to discuss care
• Keep them up to date on the current situation
• Identify resources, both personal and in the community
• Find support for yourself and your loved one

Alternate Living Arrangements

Families will look for alternative living arrangements when they no longer can support their loved on in the home.  When this happens, you may hear the following terms. Get to know what the language is around supporting someone in a senior living community.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – everyday tasks related to personal care usually performed for oneself in the course of a normal day, including bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, walking, taking medications, and other personal care activities.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) – activities related to independent living, such as preparing meals, managing money, shopping for groceries or personal items, performing light or heavy housework, and using a telephone

Assessment – An assessment from a professional to determine that appropriate support that is needed for your loved one.  This may include ADLs or IADLs.

Respite Care – provision of short-term relief (respite) from the tasks associated with caregiving. Respite services encompass traditional home-based care, such as hiring an attendant, as well as care provided to the care recipient in out-of-home care settings, such as adult day services and short-term stays in a nursing home or other care facility. Respite can vary in time from part of a day to several weeks.

Caregivers With Loved Ones In A Senior Living Community

Not every caregiver has the ability to live near their loved one. Here are some ideas to help:

Observe your loved one during visits:

• Are they eating properly?
• Taking medications properly?
• Able to get out and about to do their errands?
• Is the house messy and unorganized?
• Is there increased confusion?

These answers will help you to determine what if any types of care is needed and how to arrange them.

Care Managers
Care managers act as a substitute family member to your loved one and can arrange for services such as:

• visiting nurses
• care providers
• home delivered meals

Local Support System
Try creating a support system of other people living near your loved who are willing and able to help.

• friends
• relatives
• church or community service groups

Orchard at Brookhaven is a senior living community in Atlanta that has trained staff to support your loved one. Our staff are called Care Partners rather than Care Givers because we focus on being a partner with your loved one. Rather doing “to” our staff works “with” your loved one as a partner in supporting their life. Please contact us to learn more about our community and how we can help.